THE MOTHER

 

The Spiritual Significance of Flowers

 

Part I

 

Test and Photograph

 

Contents

 

 

 

Chapter 1

Chapter 7

Aditi and Avatar

Spiritual Attainments

Aditi

Mastery

Avatar

Wisdom

 

Inspiration

Chapter 2

Revelation

The Divine

Consciousness turned towards the Light

Sachchidananda

Conversion

 Divine Presence

New birth

Divine Love

Realisation

Divine Grace

Victory

Divine Help

Transformation

Protection

Immortality

 

Beauty

Chapter 3

Art

The New Creation

Refinement

Promise

Dignity

New world

Wealth

New creation

 

The future

Chapter 8

Superhumanity

Power

 

Godhead

Chapter 4

Agni

Living for the Divine

Supramental Consciousness

To live only for the Divine

Beauty of supramental youth

Attachment to the Divine (orchids) 

Charm of the new creation

Trust in the Divine

Individual power

Friendship with the Divine

Dynamic power

Love for the Divine (roses)

Power of progress

 

 

Chapter 5

Chapter 9

Road to the Divine

Planes of Consciousness and Parts of the Being

Ascension

Complexity of the centres

Aspiration

Supramental influence

Prayer

Spiritual aspiration

Devotion

Spiritual beauty

Remembrance

Psychic work

Opening

Psychological perfection

Receptivity

Mind

Tapasya

Higher mind

Renunciation of desires

Mental simplicity

Unselfishness

Quiet mind

Discipline

Vital opening

Thoroughness

Vital purity

Endurance

Elegance in the emotions

Service

Refinement of sensations

Work

Physical consciousness turned entirely towards the Divine

Organisation

Light in the blood

Help

Peace in the cells

Progress

Peace in the sex centre

 

Health

Chapter 6

Dreams

Bases of Spiritual Life

Power of Truth in the Subconscient

Sincerity

Divine Will acting in the Inconscient

Purity

 

Simplicity

Chapter 10

Humility

Collaboration of Nature

Peace

Blossoming of Nature

Silence

Spontaneous aspiration of Nature towards the Divine

Gratitude

Abundance

Cheerfulness

Light in fairyland

Goodwill

Bird of paradise

Balance

 

Harmony

Chapter 11

Generosity

Awakening of Matter

Faithfulness

Psychic awakening in Matter

Right attitude

Gold

Enthusiasm

Fire

Life energy

 

Plasticity

Chapter 12

Courage

Radha and Krishna

Boldness

Radha's consciousness

Absolute truthfulness

Krishna's light in the Overmind

Spiritual speech

Krishna's play

No quarrels

Krishna's Ananda

Certitude

 

 

Part II

 

Sri Aurobindo Ashram

 

First Edition 2000

(C) Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust 2000

Published by Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department

Pondicherry, India

Printed in Singapore at Ho Printing

ISBN 81-7058-609-7

Note on the Texts and Photographs

 

Background information on the texts and photographs is given below, along with references to the texts of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.

 

Photographs of Flowers

Most of the 630 flower-photographs in this book were taken in the gardens and courtyards of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry and in the nurseries, gardens, fields and forests of Auroville. Some photographs, especially those of flowers that grow well only in cooler climates, were photographed in Bangalore and Ootacamund, India, and in Germany.

In some of the photographs, the colour of the flower differs in hue or intensity from the colour mentioned in the text of Part 1 and the description of the flower in Part 2. The difference in colour may be due to several reasons: type of film used, lighting conditions, limitations of printing, etc. Flowers photographed in strong sunlight appear lighter in hue than those photographed in subdued or indirect sunlight. While printing, it is often difficult to duplicate the exact colour of a flower, particularly when flowers of various colours appear on the same page.

 

Photographs of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother

The photograph of the Mother on the back flap of the jacket of Part 1 was taken in Tokyo in 1916. The photograph other in the preliminary pages of Part 1 was taken in Pondicherry in July 1967. The photograph of Sri Aurobindo in the same preliminary pages was taken in Pondicherry in April 1950 by the French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. The photograph of the Mother in the preliminary pages of Part 2 was also taken by Cartier-Bresson in April 1950.

 

The Mother's Flower-Significances and Her Comments on Them

 

From the start of the Ashram in 1927, the Mother used flowers in her interactions with the sadhaks who came to see her. From an early period, she gave "names" or "significances" to certain flowers. In this way there evolved a language of flowers by which the Mother communicated with the sadhaks. Within a few years,

she had given names to hundreds of flowers. A list compiled by an Ashram gardener in 1930 contained 410 entries. In 1953, a French sadhak edited the Ashram's first book on flowers, Le role des fleurs. This contained 636 significances. In the early 1970s, the Mother reviewed these significances, changing some of them, and added more than 240 new ones. At the same time she gave a brief comment on almost all the flowers. The result of this revision was Flowers and Their Messages, issued in 1973, which contained 879 significances. The present book includes 19 new significances discovered in the notebooks of early Ashram gardeners.

The early flower-significances were given in English. Later, in Le role des fleurs, the significances were published both in English and French. In Flowers and Their Messages, many of the significances, especially the new ones, and almost all the comments were given in French and then translated into English for the book. In the present book, some of those translations have been revised.

Page-457


Sources of the Quotations from the Works of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother

 

Most of the quotations in this book have been selected from the thirty-volume Sri Aurobindo Birth Centenary Library (SABCL) and the seventeen-volume Collected Works of the Mother (CWM), both published by the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry. Some quotations have been taken from various other books and journals, all published by the Ashram unless otherwise indicated. A small number of quotations are from writings and talks that have not been published by the Ashram. The titles of the works are listed below, along with the abbreviations used in this book and the years of publication.

 

Abbreviation

Title

 

Abbreviation

Title

SABCL 5

Collected Poems 1972

 

CWM 9

Questions and Answers 1957-58 1977

 SABCL9

The Future Poetry 1972

 

CWM 10

On Thoughts and Aphorisms

1977

SABCL10

The Secret of the Veda 1971

 

CWM 11

Notes on the Way 1980

SABCL12

The Upanishads 1972

 

CWM 12

On Education 1978

SABCL13

Essays on the Gita 1970

 

CWM 13-15

Words of the Mother 1980

SABCL16

The Supramental Manifestation and Other Writings 1971

 

CWM 16

Some Answers of the Mother 1987

SABCL17

The Hour of God and Other Writings 1972

 

CWM 17

More Answers of the Mother 1990

SABCL 18-19

The Life Divine 1970

 

Bulletin

Bulletin of Sri Aurobindo  International Centre of Education.  Quarterly journal. Since 1949

SABCL 20-21

The Synthesis of Yoga 1971

 

Champaklal

Champaklal Speaks 1975

SABCL 22-24

Letters on Yoga 1970

 

En Route

En Route (Pondicherry: Madanlal Himatsinghka) 1987

SABCL 25

The Mother with Letters on the Mother 1972

 

Messages 

Flowers and Their Messages 1994

SABCL 26

On Himself 1972

 

Guidance

Guidance from Sri Aurobindo—I   (Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo   Society) 1974

CWM 1

Prayers and Meditations 1979

 

 Hour

The Hour of God 1991

CWM 2

Words of Long Ago 1978

 

Savitri

Savitri (Revised Edition) 1993

CWM 3

Questions and Answers 1977

 

Archives

Sri Aurobindo: Archives and Research. Biannual journal. 1977-94

CWM 4

Questions and Answers 1950-51 1977 

 

Talk

Talk of (date) hitherto unpublished by the Ashram

CWM 5

Questions and Answers 1953 1976

 

Thoughts

Thoughts and Aphorisms 1992

CWM 6

Questions and Answers 1954 1979

 

Roses

White Roses (Pondicherry: Huta)  1980

CWM 7

Questions and Answers 1955 1979

 

Writing

Writing of (date) hitherto  unpublished by the Ashram

CWM 8

Questions and Answers 1956 1977

     

 

References to the Quotations from the Works of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother

The references that follow are given in an abbreviated form. In most cases the abbreviation is a CWM or SABCL volume. In some cases the abbreviation is the shortened title of a book or journal. In a few cases, when the quotation is from a writing or talk not otherwise published by the Ashram, the abbreviation is "Writing" or "Talk", followed by the date. All these abbreviations are listed in the section above. When two or more quotations occur on a page, the references are listed sequentially: (1), (2), etc. When the quotations occur in both columns of a page, the references to those in the left column are given first.

In the list of references, on the following pages, the page numbers of this book are given in the left column, then the references. An example of an abbreviated reference:

15: CWM7:378 = On page 15 of this book,

the quotation is taken from CWM volume 7, page 378.

Page-458


 

PART 1. TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHS

Preliminary pages

Publisher's Note ("Flowers speak"): Messages:

 197 The Origin of the Significances:  (l) CWM 5:232; (2)Messages:xi; (3)CWM 4:167. Flowers and Their Significances

 

Chapter 1

 Aditi and Avatar

1:

(l) Writing dated c. 1934-36. (2)Roses:12.

 

4:

(l) SABCL13:l48fh; (2)CWM10:61; (3)SABCL22:406; (4)SABCL16:430;  (5)SABCL13:166; (6)SABCL22:401.

2:

(1) SABCL17:28; (2)SABCL10:289; (3)SABCL25:65; (4)SABCL25:19;  (5)Hour:74.

 

5:

Savkri:22.

3:

Savirri:3l4.

     

 

Chapter 2

The Divine

7:

(1) SABCL23:1081; (2)SABCL23:509-10.

 

16:

 (1) SABCL20:790; (2)CWM8:251

8:

(1)S ABCL12:96; (2)SABCL12:l6,17,19;

(3)SABCL18:92.

 

17:

(l) Talk of 13 Oct.1965; (2)CWM10:155-

56; (3)Savitri:290.

 10:

(1) SABCL22:384; (2)Roses:47; (3)Savitri:624.

 

18:

 (1) CWM15:409; Talk of 16 Oct.1965; (3)CWM17:377; (4)CWMl4:90.

 11:

(1) SABCL12:85; (2)SABCL17:172; (3)SABCL17:238.

 

19:

Writing of Feb. 1921.

12:

(1) SABCL20:154; (2)SABCL20:154;  (3)SABCL23:755; (4)SABCL23:754;   (5)CWM14:138.

 

20:

CWM 13:62.

13:

(1) Bulletin Apr. 1983:66; (2)CWM3:71;  (3)SABCL20:98.

 

21:

(1) SABCL24:1628; (2)Roses:l61.

15:

 CWM7.-378.

     

 

Chapter 3

The New Creation

23:

(l) CWM9:l49; (2)CWM9:150-5L

 

30:

(1) SABCL24:1313; (2)CWM11:307.

24:

(l)SABCL13:l44; (2)SABCL12:121; (3)SABCL16:240; (4)SABCLl6:63.

 

31:

CWM3:180.

25:

(1)SABCL26:167; (2)CWM15:198;  (3)CWM8:323.

 

32:

Savitri:708-09.

 27:

 CWM9.-298.

 

  33:

(1) SABCL9:255; (2)SABCL19:846-47; (3)CWM9:411.

 28:

Savitri:312.

 

34:

 (1) CWM3:31; (2)CWM14:83.

29:

(1) CWM7:347-48; (2)CWM9:150-51.

     

 

Chapter 4

Living for the Divine

 35:

(1) CWM12:274; (2) CWM 1 preliminary

 

 47:

 (1) SABCL20:249; (2)CWM7:247.

37:

CWM 11:262.

 

48:

(l) Roses:323; (2)CWMl4:131;  (3)SABCL21:535

39:

(1) CWM14:4; (2)CWM14:15.

 

50:

SABCL20:150. 51: (l)Roses:56; (2)En Route: 9 July 1969.

43:

SABCL20:66.

 

54:

(1) CWM3:114-15; (2)CWM3:126.

 44:

 (l) Champaklal:221; (2)SABCL23:587;  (3)Roses:96

 

58:

  CWM12:305.

 45:

CWM9:57.

     

 

Chapter 5

Road to the Divine

59:

(l) Savitri:501; (2)CWM16:319;   (3)CWM 16:375.

 

 76:

 (1) SABCL25:127; (2)CWM13:15

60:

(1) CWM14:17; (2)SABCL21:562.

 

 78:

 (l) BulletinApr.l983:65; (2)SABCL23: 604-05; (3)CWM3:133; (4)CWMl4:152.

61:

(1) CWM3:1;(2)CWM3:83-84; (3)CWM14:186; (4)   CWM16:186.

 

81:

(1) SABCL23:695; (2)SABCL23:1074.

 63:

(1) SABCL20:123; (2)CWM 15:245.

 

 82:

(1) CWM12:260;(2)CWM16:180;   (3)SABCL20:74; (4)Wridng undated;   (5)SABCL23:541; (6)SABCL23:596

64:

(l) Guidance:106; (2)CWM8:40.

 

 84:

(l) SABCL24:12l4; (2)CWM3:160. 

65:

  CWM7.-239.

 

85:

SABCL20:3l4.

68:

CWM3:132.

 

 86::

(1) CWM1:354; (2)SABCL17:89.

70:

(1) SABCL21:542-43; (2) Roses:314;  (3)SABCL19:864.

 

 87:

(l) Roses:105; (2)SABCL24:1370;   (3) SABCL20:53;(4)SABCL20:342-43.

71:

(1) SABCL21:525; (2)SABCL21:547.

 

88:

  CWM14:276.

72:

(1) SABCL23:773; (2)SABCL21:545.

 

89:

 (1) CWM14:272; (2) CWM16:401.

 73:

(1) SABCL13:317; (2)CWM4:391.

 

90:

(1) SABCL15:91;(2) CWM12:382;   (3) CWM14:46.

75:

(1) CWM3:23; (2)SABCL23:586;  (3)SABCL23:514.

 

92:

SABCL23:716.

Page-459


96:

(3) CWM14:173; (4) CWM14:172; (5) Bulletin Apr. 1983:64; (6)CWMl4:176;  (7)SABCL23:644.

 

103:

SABCL16:291.

98:

(1) SABCL25:16;(2)CWM14:110.

 

104:

(1) CWM14:327; (2)CWM17:244; (3)CWM6:15.

99:

(1) CWM14:329; (2) SABCL25:200-01; (3) SABCL16:87.

 

107:

(1) CWM16:192; (2)CWM14:296; (3)CWM 14:297.

100:

CWM14:325.

 

108:

(1) CWM14:334; (2) CWMl4:335; (3) SABCL23:863; (4)SABCL23:862.

101:

(1) SABCL20:152; (2)Bulledn Apr.l983:64.

 

110:

(1)CWM12:33; (2)CWM8:252;  (3)Talkof 7 Oct. 1964.

102:

(1) SABCL25:33-35;(2) CWM6:283; (3)SABCL21:752.

 

 

 

 

Chapter 6

Bases of Spiritual Life

111:

(1) SABCL18:2; (2)CWM3:118; (3)SABCL21:569.

  134: (l)Roses:68; (2)CWM3:154.
112:

(l)Guidance:110;(2)CWM15:398;  (3)SABCL24:1642; (4)CWMl4:67.

  137: (1)SABCL12:200-01; (2) SABCL20:l67-68.
114:

(1)CWM14:156; (2)CWM6:438; (3)Talkof21 May I960.

  139:

(1)CWM4:207; (2)CWM4:368;  (3)CWM3:175-76.

117: SABCL24:1538.   140: CWM7:31.
118: (l)CWMl:17;(2)Talkofl6Sept.l96l.   l4l: CWM8:26l.
119:

(l)Talkof21 Dec.1957; (2)Talkofl3 Sept. 1967.

  142: CWM3:202.
120:

(1)CWM14:142;(2)SABCL23:656; (3)SABCL23:789; (4)SABCL23:642;  (5)SABCL23:642.

  144:

(1)SABCL16:167; (2)Talkof22 Mar.1967; (3)CWM12:8.

121:

(1)CWM14:150; (2)CWM16:425; (3)CWM14:150; (4)SABCL20:302.

  145:

(1)SABCL25:333; (2)CWM16:194; (3)CWM14:216.

 122: (1)CWM8:40; (2)Talkof21 Dec.1963.   l47:

(l)Source unidentified; (2)CWM8:158; (3)SABCL25:365.

124:

(l)Roses:98; (2)SABCL24:1358; (3)SABCL24:1365.

  148:

(1)SABCL23:824; (2)CWMl4:285; (3)CWM 14:284.

125: Savitri:630.   l49: (l)SABCL25:268;(2)CWM16:181.
129: (1)SABCL18:2; (2)CWM3:109.   150:

(1) CWM14:327; (2)CWMl4:327; (3)CWM14:345; (4)CWM17:88.

130: CWM2:101-02.   151: CWM9:255.
131: Talkof20ct.l961.   152: Talkof28Sept.l961.
133: (1)CWM14:164; (2)SABCL24:1425.      

 

Chapter 7

Spiritual Attainments

153: (l)Thoughts:3;(2)SABCLl 9:857.   169:

(1) SABCL23:884-85;(2)SABCL19:997; (3)SABCL20:278;(4)SABCL23:1001.

154:

(l) CWM 14:276; (2)CWM16:303-04; (3)Talkofl6Mayl960.

  170: CWM7:407.
155:

(1)SABCL24:1113; (2)Bulletin Nov.l986:21; (3)CWM10:17;

(4)SABCL19:948.

  171: (1)SABCL26:171; (2)CWM15:184.
156: (1)CWM10:3; (2)Thoughts:4.   172: SABCL22:95.
158:

(l)Thoughts:3;(2)SABCL24:1262; (3)CWM10:5.

  173: (1)SABCL12:112;(2)SABCL19:738.
159:

(l)Thoughts:16;(2)SABCL18:125; (3)SABCL9:354.

  174: CWM 12:234.
160:

(1)SABCL22:236;(2)SABCL22:238; (3)CWM9:118-19.

  175: CWM1:349.
162: (1)SABCL25:83;(2)SABCL19:944.   178:

(1)SABCL9:235;(2)SABCL9:491; (3)SABCL9:491; (4)SABCL19:1067; (5)Savitri:112.

163: SABCL17:48.   181:

(1)SABCL9:333; (2)CWM3:110;  (3)CWM3:104; (4)Source unidentified.

164: SABCL23:585.   183: SABCL20:495.
165: (1)SABCL22:75;(2)SABCL16:31.   186: (1)SABCL17:234; (2)CWM15:373.
166:

(1)CWM15:240; (2)SABCL24:1096; SABCL24:1105.

  189: (1)SABCL25:12;(2)SABCL25:11-12,13-14.
l68:

(l)Roses:135; (2)CWM9:431;  (3)CWM9:336-37; (4)SABCL23:877; (5)SABCL23:879.

     

 

Chapter 8

Power

193:

(1)SABCL24:1203; (2)SABCL24:1204; (3)SABCL9:380.

  194:

(l) Writing of 16 Feb.1937;  (2)SABCL13:383-84; (3)SABCL20:76-77.

Page-460


196: (1)CWM14:93; (2)SABCL25:10; (3) SABCL13:489; (4)SABCL19:990.   205: (1)CWM12:259; (2)CWM12:122; (3)CWM12:124; (4)CWM14:190; (5)SABCL23:971.
197: (1)SABCL24:1120; (2)SABCL11:30.   209: (1)SABCL24:1313; (2)SABCL24:13l4.
198: CWM12:98-99.   211:

(1)SABCL24:1720; (2)Bulledn Apr. 1983:64; (3)SABCL22:174; (4)Champaklal:221; (5)SABCL23:573; (6)SABCL21:746; (7)CWM9:351-52; (8)CWM14:83.

201: SABCL22:91.     212:(1)SABCL13:346;(2)SABCL18:191.
202: CWM 12:234.   215: CWM9:22-23.
203:

(1)CWM1:349; (2)SABCL25:361-62; (3)SABCL9:235-36.

     

 

Chapter 9

Planes of Consciousness and Parts of the Being

223:

(1)SABCL11:22; (2) SABCL 18:269; (3) Bulletin Aug. 1986:28.

  259: SABCL23:636.
225:

(1)SABCL24:1164-65; (2)SABCL22:364- 65; (3)SABCL21:570; (4)SABCL25:141.

  260:

(1) SABCL22.-321; (2)SABCL22:345; (3)SABCL20:167.

227: (1)SABCL22:13 (2)SABCLl6:4l.   261: (l)Talkof31 May 1962; (2)SABCL24:1532.
230: CWM9:374-75.   263: (l) SABCL l 6:401;(2)SABCL22:309.
231: (1)SABCL22:6; (2)SABCL20:48.   264: (1)SABCL25:263;(2)SABCL23:654.
232: (1)SABCL23:651;(2)SABCL19:978.   268: SABCL22:334.
233: (l) SABCLl 5: 135; (2)Savitri:5.   269: (1)SABCL24:1324; (2)SABCL22:345.
234:

(1)SABCL19:981; (2)Bulletin Nov.l985:19; (3)Savitri:674.

  271: SABCL25:182.
235:

(1)SABCL22;301;(2)SABCL20:141; (3)SABCL20:l45.

  272: SABCL23:780.
237: SABCL18:630-31.   274: SABCL23:754.
239: CWM 16:224.   275: SABCL23:780-81.
241: (1)SABCL22:320-21;(2)SABCL22:326-27.   280:

(1)SABCL25;11; (2)CWM15:53; (3)Talkof40ct.l958.

242: (1)CWM9:101-02;(2)SABCL20:381.   282: (1)SABCL24:1443;(2)SABCL26:208.
243: (1)CWM6:329; (2)Archives Apr.l982:67.   286:

(1)SABCL23:647; (2)SABCL24:1198; (3)CWM16:392.

244: (1)SABCL22:327;(2)SABCL24:1266-67.   287:

(1)CWM9:191; (2)CWMl6:369; (3)CWM 16:360.

245: (DSABCL22.-325; (2)SABCL9:342.   290:

(1) SABCL24:1467; (2) Bulletin Nov.l958:67; (3)CWM16:194.

246: SABCL16:53-54.   292:

(1)CWM9:65; (2)CWM15:l42; (3)CWM7:287.

247: SABCL16:67.   293:

(l)SABCL24:l489;(2)SABCL24:l494; (3)SABCL24:1504.

254: SABCL12:42.   294: (DSABCL24:1597; (2)SABCL24:1594.
255: (1)SABCL24:1262; (2)SABCL16:302.   296: (1)SABCL22:279; (2)SABCL18:550;  (3)SABCL17:l48.

 

Chapter 10

Collaboration of Nature  

297: (l)Savitri:190; (2)Roses:388; (3)CWM15:186.   302: Savitri:532.
298:

(l)Savitri:139;(2)SABCL26:185; (3)CWM12:66; (4)CWM3:72; (5)Roses:102.

  308: Savitri:686.
300:

(1)SABCL21:571; (2)CWM1:356; (3)CWM15:9.

     

 

Chapter 11

Awakening in Matter

309:

(l)CWMl 5:245; (2)Savim:55; (3)Savitri:709.

  310:

(1)SABCL18:258;(2)SABCL18:263; (3)CWM9:210.

 

Chapter 12

Radha and Krishna

315: SABCL5:532-33.   317: (1)SABCL5:139; (2)SABCL5:40.
316:

(1)SABCL23:796; (2)CWM8:223; (3)CWM15:224.

  322:

(1)SABCL17:47;(2)SABCL22:391; (3)SABCL22:392; (4)CWM 10:51; (5)SABCL17:241.

 

Back cover Messages: 197.

PART 2. INDEXES, GLOSSARIES AND DESCRIPTIONS

 

Preliminary pages (opposite photograph): CWM1:358.

Back cover SavitrL-139.

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Note on the Texts of Part 2:

 

Indexes, Glossaries and Descriptions

 

Glossary of Botanical Terms The definitions of these botanical terms are based upon those found in several books, especially The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening, published in 1992 by the Macmillan Press, Limited, London, and Hortus Third: A Concise Dictionary of Plants Cultivated in the United States and Canada, published in 1976 by the Macmillan Publishing Company, New York City.

 

Glossary of Philosophical and Psychological Terms The definitions of the terms in this glossary are taken almost entirely from the works of Sri Aurobindo. A few are from the works of the Mother.

 

The Symbolism of Colours

The significances of colours appearing in this section are based almost entirely on the works of Sri Aurobindo. One significance is based on a work of the Mother.

 

Descriptions of the Flowers

The descriptions and other botanical information on the flowers are based primarily upon The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening and Hortus Third: A Concise Dictionary of Plants Cultivated in the United States and Canada. The botanical names of some flowers in this book differ from those in Flowers and Their Messages. The present names are based upon a more thorough study of the flowers than was possible before.

 

 

Original Language of the Texts of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother

 

All the texts of Sri Aurobindo quoted in this book were written in English. About one-third of the texts of the Mother were written or spoken in English, about two-thirds in French. The English translations of the French texts, taken from the Collected Works of the Mother and other sources, have sometimes been revised.

 

Acknowledgments

 

Almost all the flower-photographs in this book were taken by members of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. The remaining photographs were taken by persons living in Auroville, in other parts of India and abroad. Special acknowledgement is due to Perry D. Slocum of Winter Haven, Florida, and for permission to reproduce his photograph of the white lotus (page 3), and to the Self-Realisation Fellowship, Los Angeles, California, for permission to reproduce the photograph of the red lotus (page 5), by a unidentified photographer.

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